News Updates

A clean and modernized grid makes Greater Chicago’s climate future a reality

The recently released Comprehensive Climate Action Plan for Greater Chicago is the first regional framework to address all major sources of greenhouse gas emissions across a 13-county area spanning Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin. Grounded in rigorous data and shaped by community and partner voices, it charts a clear and ambitious path to reduce emissions, improve public health, and strengthen the economy.

The plan makes it clear that electric grid decarbonization and modernization is foundational to nearly every major emissions-reduction strategy. As drivers adopt electric vehicles, industry electrifies more processes, and homes switch to heat pumps, the electricity system must deliver significantly more power and do so with far fewer emissions.

In short: a clean grid makes the region’s climate strategies possible.

Why does the grid matter? 

Electricity generation, transmission, and distribution produced 22 percent of the region’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2020 — about 33.5 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent. But the grid’s role in the climate transition extends far beyond those direct emissions.

Electricity is responsible for 22 percent of the region’s emissions

Today, much of the region’s energy comes from fossil fuels outside the electric system — natural gas used for heating and appliances in buildings, gasoline and diesel used in transportation, and fossil fuels used in many industrial processes. The climate action plan calls for shifting much of that energy demand onto the electric grid through widespread electrification.

That means the grid must do two things at once:

• Get dramatically cleaner, so electrification reduces emissions
• Grow significantly in capacity, so it can reliably and affordably serve new demand from buildings, vehicles, and industry

The grid must not simply reduce its own emissions — it must become the backbone of a much larger share of the region’s energy system.

Electricity demand is on the rise 

While the grid gets cleaner it also has to increase its capacity.

ComEd forecasts that electricity demand could increase by 110 percent over the next 20 years as the region transitions away from fossil fuels. Similar growth is projected in the climate action plan’s modeling through 2050 if the plan is fully implemented.

That means the region must not only generate clean electricity, but more electricity. It must ensure the grid can reliably deliver that power to meet increasing electrical demand, as we move demand currently on natural gas and gasoline onto the grid.

The climate action plan projects dramatic decreases in fossil fuels like gasoline and natural gas, and an increase in electricity.

What does the climate action plan call for?

The Comprehensive Climate Action Plan for Greater Chicago identifies several strategies to transform the region’s electricity system and prepare it for an electrified future.

Implement existing clean energy laws

Illinois has already established a strong policy framework through the 2021 Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA), which requires emissions-free electricity generation by 2045 and sets long-term clean energy procurement targets.

Full implementation of CEJA is essential to achieve the region’s climate goals. The plan also highlights the importance of advancing the 2026 Clean and Reliable Grid Act, which supports battery storage deployment, grid modernization, and additional energy efficiency investments.

Because Greater Chicago spans three states, however, success also depends on stronger clean electricity commitments in Indiana and Wisconsin. Municipal and county leaders can advocate for strong clean energy policies in their state, participate in utility and regulatory planning processes, and align local plans and investments with anticipated electrification and clean energy growth.

Modernize the grid

Meeting future demand requires more than new power generation. The grid itself must evolve to move larger amounts of electricity, integrate renewable resources, and operate more flexibly.

Utilities and transmission providers can improve performance by adopting grid-enhancing technologies, that defer the need for costly new transmission infrastructure — saving money for utility customers while accelerating decarbonization.

Local governments can coordinate with utilities on long-range infrastructure planning, incorporate future electric demand into comprehensive planning and redevelopment efforts, and support infrastructure siting.

Expand local renewable energy

Local governments have a major role to play to accelerate the deployment of new renewable electricity generation across the region. Municipalities and counties can update zoning and permitting practices, streamline solar and storage siting, make public land available for renewable energy development, and help residents and businesses access community solar and other local clean energy programs.

Integrate distributed energy resources for grid flexibility

As distributed technologies like rooftop solar, battery storage, electric vehicles, and smart building systems become more common, they can do more than reduce customer bills; they can help balance demand, improve resilience, and reduce strain on centralized infrastructure.

Recent Illinois energy legislation increasingly recognizes distributed energy resources (DERs) as an important part of the future grid, directing utilities to better plan for their integration and expand programs that support deployment and flexible operation.

The plan calls for continued progress on distributed energy planning, better interconnection processes, time-of-use pricing, and market mechanisms that allow distributed resources to provide grid services. Local governments can lead by adopting DERs for public facilities, piloting resilient energy projects, educating residents and businesses about distributed energy opportunities, and partnering with utilities on deployment planning.

Why does this matter now?

Grid transformation takes time. Transmission projects, utility planning cycles, regulatory proceedings, and infrastructure investments unfold over many years. That means decisions made in this decade will shape whether Greater Chicago can meet its climate goals.

The good news is that many of the policy, planning, and technology tools needed to modernize the grid already exist. State clean energy laws, utility planning requirements, local zoning authority, distributed energy programs, and proven grid-enhancing technologies provide a strong foundation for action.

But those tools must be deployed quickly and in coordination. Without a cleaner and more capable grid:

• Building electrification becomes less effective
• EV adoption creates greater strain on local infrastructure
• Industrial decarbonization becomes more difficult
• Climate targets become significantly harder and more expensive to achieve

Learn more in the climate action plan

A clean and modernized grid is not a standalone energy issue; it is the backbone of the region’s broader climate strategy.

The Comprehensive Climate Action Plan for Greater Chicago provides additional detail on grid-related strategies, implementation pathways, and the modeling behind the region’s transition to a cleaner, more reliable, and more resilient energy system.